Meet the 19-year old college kid protecting his home town as Batman

Whenever stories about people dressing up in costumes and playing vigilante crop up, we bristle a little because they often do more harm than good. Thankfully, that's not the case with an anonymous, teenage California resident who has taken to the streets in a very DIY Batman costume.

What sets this hero apart from the usual crop is that he doesn't force himself into the thick of literal fights so much as he simply tries to keep an eye out for his community. He calls the police when people are in danger and helped search for a fellow student who had disappeared.

That doesn't mean there's no action to be had, it's just left in the realm of the theatrical. In addition to Petaluma Batman, there is also Petulama Joker and Petaluma Penguin. Together they engage in staged combat for the enjoyment passersby.

"There's this motto," says Petaluma's Dark Knight, "Aa hero can be anyone,' and it's kind of really taken ahold of in the newest Batman movies. I thought, 'Well, that's kind of neat.'"

For more, be sure to check out the video below. We feel pretty good about this kind of Batman. Sounds like he's actually doing something good for his community.